True Blue
by Kazbaby
Summary: Jack O'Neill and Cameron Mitchell share a drink after the events in Continuum.


**True Blue**

**Author's Note:** This is just something that came to me and is my offering as to why Cameron always seemed to hate Ba'al a bit more than someone who only read the mission reports. This is my first time writing Jack (be gentle :)). Beta beautification performed by the lovely and talented Ivorygates, all other mistakes are mine.  
**Setting:** Post-Continuum  
**Characters:** Jack O'Neill, Cameron Mitchell  
**Rating:** G  
**Disclaimer:** Sadly these characters belong to MGM and not me.

* * *

"So when did Jackson say that they'd be home?" Cam took a drink from his beer, his attention mainly on the game and (almost) silently urging the Titans' Quarterback closer to the end zone. He had a hundred bucks riding on this game and he had to make up for the fact that he'd lost the last two pools or else his reputation (and his wallet) was going to be shot.

"Hard to say. He said to call him when the game had five minutes of play time left. You know how he can be."

Rolling his eyes, Cam shakes his head, not really surprised. "I swear that man is trying to drive me to crazy. I mean, how can he avoid coming home just because he doesn't want to watch the game? It was his idea."

"It's _Daniel_. I thought you'd have realized what he's like by now," Jack answers, kicking the side of the couch and handing Cam the bowl of nachos piled with meat, cheese, and sour cream. "Careful, keep the potholder it'll still blister you."

Shifting his beer bottle and several papers to the side of the coffee table, Cam sets the bowl down, keeping the potholder beneath it. "They're at eleven and five now, Titans. He's going to ruin my paté."

Pausing as he sits down, Jack just stares at Cam for a second. "You really get off on that, don't you?"

"What?"

"Cooking," Jack answers, waving in the general direction of the kitchen.

Shrugging, Cam takes a tortilla chip and digs it into the meat and cheese. "Never really thought about it. I like food. Momma made sure Ash and I knew how to cook. Idle hands and all that jazz."

"Obviously. Don't worry about Daniel. Teal'c and Carter will get his butt over here before the game is over and your _paté_ will be saved."

"They'd better or else Teal'c will be upset. It's his favorite."

"Should I even ask?"

Laughing, Cam answers around the hot cheese, "Better not."

The announcer's voice shouts with excitement and they both turn their attention back to the game. When it goes to a commercial Cam gets up, taking advantage of the break to use the bathroom. After making room for more beer, he grabs one from the fridge, calling out to Jack. "Need another one yet?"

"No, I'm good."

Twisting off the cap, Cam tosses it in the small garbage can Jack had set beside the coffee table and notices a tall blue box sitting in place of the coaster he'd been using for his beer. He doesn't have to pick it up to see it's a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label and he already knows that this is far from cheap.

"Never knew that a team football party warrants the good stuff."

"That isn't only the good stuff, that's the _expensive shit_ and it's for you, not the team," Jack says turning to him, "Unless you'd like to share. I wouldn't say no."

"It'd be an honor. Though I've gotta wonder; Christmas has already come and gone and my birthday isn't for another month - so what's the occasion?" Cam tries to study Jack, but there's nothing to study; he doesn't know the man well enough to gauge what the hell is going on behind those eyes that always seem to be getting the punch line about five seconds before the rest of the crowd.

Jack clears his throat. "Ba'al said something the other day at the Extraction. Something about having plans for us. It strike you as curious?"

"Yes," Cam looks away for a second, "and no."

Eyebrows rising up in surprise, Jack waits a beat before asking, "You... uh...read the file about the first time I met Ba'al?"

Cam nods; his curiosity doubles and he wonders just where the hell this is going. "Yes, sir." Jack gives him a look and Cam only barely keeps himself from being embarrassed. There are just some things that are impossible to shake, even when you're sitting a couch with beer and football. The man is still a General and has sure as hell earned the respect of being called _sir_.

"Well, let's just say that there are a few things that aren't _explained_ in very much detail," Jack pulls an envelope from beside him (must have grabbed it when Cam was in the bathroom) and hands it to Cam. "This should clear things a bit. I'm going to go grab some glasses. We don't need to swig Blue Label from the bottle. It's unseemly."

Cam looks from the envelope as Jack gets up and moves toward Daniel's liquor cabinet. Opening it, he begins reading Jack's handwritten note. It reads like crib notes, but the information on the page is clearly spelled out; Daniel's forgotten warning (only Jack was never meant to forget and he hadn't), how Jack had known of Cam's future role with SG-1 years before Cam flew out with the Snakeskinners over Antarctica.

He refolds the paper and puts it back in the envelope, letting it sort of just sit in his hand without really holding it. Jack sits back down. Placing the two glasses on the table; he accepts the envelope when Cam gives it back to him.

Cam leans forward and picks up the box. Taking the bottle out, he works silently on opening it; accepting the first glass when Jack hands it to him. Filling it halfway, he trades it for the second glass and fills it a little bit more than half. He doesn't bother putting the cap back on and sits back in his seat.

"When you read my file, you also got the background on some of my family. Saw that we're all pretty much career military through and through, always have been."

"Yeah. Served with your old man for a short time I think. Memory gets foggy when they put you behind a desk, you know." The corner of Jack's mouth quirks with with a grin that doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"Had a cousin, never knew if he was a third or fourth, my dad was sort of vague about some of the details, but he passed around the time I was born. Served under my grandfather on his ship," Cam pauses, not really staring at anything in particular, feeling almost unsure if he should continue, "I was named for him." He doesn't have to turn his head to see that Jack is looking down turning his own glass in his hands.

For several seconds the only sound Cam hears is the tap tap tap of Jack's fingernails against the crystal.

"How long have you known what Ba'al was planning?"

"Not long after I was given clearance and started reading SG-1's mission files. My parents came to visit and Mom gave me a letter. It'd been kept for years. No one knew what it said because it just had a date on it. My name was on the envelope inside, which Momma thought was peculiar since it'd been put in the dead letter file long before I was born." The tapping sound stops. "It just laid out enough details for me to know that it was genuine and that I needed to get on my feet and be ready in case things hadn't gone the way they were supposed to when the time came."

"And you didn't think to pass on this information?"

"Didn't actually need it, did we.? I - _He_ did it."

"That _you_ did." Giving Cam a nod, Jack holds up his glass in salute. They both take a drink and Cam grins as he lowers his hand. "Good Scotch."

"Worth it."

Originally posted October 30, 2008


End file.
